Part 5 (1/2)
How was she supposed to think about anything, much less form a single word in response, after hearing that? He left her nearly salivating for a kiss and held her hand as he walked down the first step toward the alley below, then pressed a kiss to the back of it and said, ”Good night, my sweet summer Sky.”
She watched him disappear around the corner and finally broke from her stupor and went inside. Her apartment was dark, save for the sheen of red and yellow light streaming in the front window from the shop's sign across the street. Merlin, her two-year-old longhair Persian cat, wound between her feet. She picked him up and he purred like crazy as she nuzzled him beneath her chin.
”How's my boy?” She set her purse on the chair by the door and carried Merlin to the kitchen, the memory of Sawyer's kisses still lingering on her lips. She filled a saucer with fresh water and set Merlin down to drink. He looked up at her with his puckered face that made him appear to be in a constant state of harrumph.
”Yes, I'm still thinking of him. Don't look at me like that.”
Merlin rubbed against her leg, reminding her of how good it had felt to lie next to Sawyer in the sand.
”Eat, sweetie. We need to drive down to Wellfleet after you've had your fill.”
She heard footsteps rus.h.i.+ng up the stairs outside her door, followed by a quick knock. One of the first things Blue had done when she'd bought the building was install a security monitor and a peephole, as well as a slew of locks and other security measures that she swore she'd never need-and he'd insisted upon. The minute her brothers had heard she balked at the idea of all those security measures, she'd landed in the middle of a text diatribe from Hunter and Grayson and a verbal las.h.i.+ng from Matty over the phone. Pete wasn't nearly as gentle. He'd appeared on her doorstep with a scowl and literally stood between her and Blue, keeping her from interfering with Blue's efforts. She'd lost the battle but won the war. She was out of her father's store and in her own place. That was a step in the right direction.
She glanced at the monitor hanging from the underside of her kitchen cabinets and saw Sawyer pacing on the landing, sending her heart into a frenzy.
She reached for the doork.n.o.b, hesitating for a moment to try to calm her racing pulse.
”I'm sorry,” he said as she opened the door. Apologetic had never looked so hot. ”I forgot to ask for your number.” His cheeks were a little flushed.
”Did you run here?”
”Just from the pier.” He smiled, a sweet, slightly embarra.s.sed, smile. ”I was afraid you might have already left for Wellfleet, and then I worried that if you hadn't left, I'd send the wrong message by showing up again. I...” He exhaled loudly. ”I'm babbling.”
”A little, but a big, bad, babbling boxer boy is supercute.”
”Cute isn't exactly what a twenty-eight-year-old man hopes for.” He laughed and handed her a slip of paper. ”Here's my number, in case either one of us is running late tomorrow.”
She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. ”Want me to put my number in your phone?”
He dug it out of his pocket and handed it to her, his eyes warm and grateful as she added her number to his contacts, then handed the phone back to him. She stepped out onto the landing and Sawyer peered around her.
”Someone's giving me the evil eye.”
”That's Merlin's adoring look.” She bent and picked up her fluffy gray kitty and petted him. Sawyer lowered his face to Merlin's eye level and kissed the tip of his nose.
I have a nose that needs kissing, too.
”Hope you had a nice evening, Merlin,” he said as he petted Merlin's head.
”Cute. Definitely cute. In the very best of ways,” she a.s.sured him.
His eyes went dark and seductive as he wrapped his arms around her waist and said, ”Thanks for your number.”
She whispered, ”Cute,” just to see his reaction.
”I'm going to change your mind about that. You'll be calling me Hulk-like or Herculean by tomorrow at midnight.”
She went up on her toes and kissed his p.r.i.c.kly chin. ”Okay, cutie pie.”
”If you weren't holding your cat, I'd show you just how cute I really am.”
She couldn't turn and set Merlin inside fast enough. She pulled the door closed so the kitty couldn't escape and flashed her most challenging grin, which she hoped was at least a little bit s.e.xy, then fisted her hands in his s.h.i.+rt. ”Show me.”
”Sky.” As he said her name, he stepped forward, pressing her back to the door. When he ran his hands down her hips and caressed her bare thighs, she couldn't resist leaning in to him.
”Sawyer.” She loved the way his name slid off her tongue.
His rough hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brus.h.i.+ng lightly over her jaw, heightening her antic.i.p.ation. ”Sweet, sweet summer Sky. What am I going to do with you?” His eyes dropped to her mouth, as his other hand slid to the curve of her a.s.s, beneath her shorts, as he'd done when they were dancing. s.h.i.+vers of heat rippled through her.
His touch, the sultry look in his eyes, and his potent masculinity swirled together and slithered over her skin. She brought her mouth closer to his.
”I'm trying to be a gentleman.” He ground his impressive erection against her as he claimed her lips in a kiss that sent ecstasy spiraling through her. He held her possessively, ma.s.saging her a.s.s with both hands, with the same insistence as every stroke of his tongue, every rock of his hips. Her thoughts spun out of control. She had no hopes of silencing the moan of pleasure that spilled from her lungs into his. He pressed her hips so tightly to his her feet left the ground, and as he lifted her, her legs circled his waist. His lips moved south, and he sealed his teeth over her neck.
Her head dropped back, and she sucked in air as sensations bowled her over. It was too much, felt too good, and when he somehow s.h.i.+fted her lower so his arousal pressed against her center, the friction was excruciatingly scintillating. His mouth found hers again, and his tongue thrust hard, in a powerful rhythm that matched that of his hips against her damp center. And-holy h.e.l.l-she felt the pull of an o.r.g.a.s.m. Couldn't be. No way. Her hips moved harder, faster. Her belly grew tight. Holy s.h.i.+t. OhmyG.o.d. His fingers brushed against her panties, and he groaned, a guttural, carnal sound that sent her tipping over the edge. Her head fell back and he didn't relent, pressing, stroking, and keeping her at the peak of her first fully clothed climax. And just as the full-body shudder began to ease, he pressed his fingers against her panties and brought his mouth back to her neck, taking her higher again.
”More-” The unbidden plea surprised her, but she didn't care. Everything about tonight had surprised her.
His fingers sank into her, stroking a pleasure point, and she lost all control, crying out and digging her nails into his biceps as her inner muscles clenched repeatedly in the sweetest, most intense o.r.g.a.s.m.
She panted for air, and when she opened her eyes, bringing him back into focus, he withdrew his fingers from between her legs and wiped them over her lips, then followed the path with his tongue. Her pulse was racing so fast she couldn't think, could only suck his tongue into her mouth, seeking more.
When they finally drew apart, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.
His eyes narrowed as a grin curved his lips, and he dragged his tongue up the length of his glistening fingers. Sky had never known such intensity, such overwhelming pa.s.sion, and as he set her on her trembling legs and gathered her in close, she was thankful for his strong arms to hold her up. He tipped up her chin with his hand and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
”Sweet dreams, my sweet summer Sky.” He held her hand as she somehow managed to walk inside the apartment, but she didn't want to let go.
It was crazy, keeping hold of him the way she was. Insane the way she tugged him through the doorframe, leaning against him as she tried to calm her breathing. She didn't know him well, and yet somehow she felt as though she'd known him a h.e.l.l of a lot longer than a few hours.
”That was...” For the first time in her life, she had no words. Nothing measured up to his sensuous seduction or the longing for more that made her ache for him.
”If you say cute,” he whispered, before kissing her forehead, each cheek, and then the corners of her mouth. ”I might have to try to convince you again.”
Before she could say, Stay, he added, ”Some other time.”
Disappointment washed through her, surprising her again. What was going on with her? She was like the worst kind of addict. Give me more. No, don't. Yes, please. It was new, and frightening, and exciting at once. She didn't understand it, and she didn't try to. She loved the way he made her feel, and laugh, and the way he spoke from his heart.
”I want to do things right with you, Sky. To date, treat you like you deserve to be treated, before we go further. I really like you, and I'm sorry if I went too far.”
”No. You didn't,” she said quickly. ”I don't know what came over me. I pushed for more. I taunted you.”
”Sky, I've wanted you since the moment our eyes met across the bar. And I'm-”
She found her voice and her confidence and said, ”Don't you dare apologize, unless you didn't enjoy being close to me.”
”Didn't enjoy it? I loved it. I want more of you, not less. It's taking all of my restraint to leave you tonight.” He reached for her hand. ”I came back for your phone number, but part of me-a big part of me-hoped for more. I wanted to touch you. To kiss you.” His voice went low as he stepped in closer. ”I wanted to taste you, and, Sky, your sweetness will stay on my tongue and infiltrate my dreams. But I don't want you to wake up tomorrow morning and wonder what the h.e.l.l you did tonight.”